Here’s a tale of three states:
- South Carolina recently approved a budget that gave state employees earning less than $50,000 per year – regardless of what they do – a $2,500 raise. That’s about $200 per month. Everyone else received a 5% increase. And those two increases, combined, were the biggest raise for the state-government workforce in South Carolina’s history.
- The average pay for state and local employees in Georgia is just under $30,000 – next to last in the nation.
- And in North Carolina, state employee pay is so low that government vacancy rates have reached 28%, forced public health labs to close, and created a situation where 37% of new hires leave within one year.
What do all these states have in common? They don’t allow state employees to bargain collectively. What they earn is decided by politicians with zero input from the people who make the government work.
Of course, things are different here. California State Scientists have a voice in the terms and conditions of their job.
CAPS’ mission is to represent State Scientists: at the bargaining table; in the workplace; in meet and confer talks; before boards, commissions, and lawmakers whose decisions impact us; and anywhere else our professional interests are at stake.
By speaking up together, we can achieve far more than we can accomplish individually.
Our records indicate that you are not a CAPS member. The good news is that in less than two minutes, using this secure online form, you can become a member and immediately add your voice to those of about 3,500 State Scientists committed to positive change through commitment to each other.
Need more information? Call us at (916) 441-2629 or email caps@capsscientists.org. Dues are $59 per month. The benefits last a lifetime.